Sunday, October 13, 2013

Blog Post #8

Dr. Lodge McCammon and Ms. Katie Gimbar explain in their videos about flipping the classroom. Dr. Lodge McCammon explains that a lot of times in todays classroom the teacher just stands in front of the class and lectures. This is not a good technique because it is inefficient, not engaging, and it is a one shot deal. Both of these instructors explain how 90% of the class time is spent lecturing and the other 10% is spent on actual application. Katie Gimbar explains how she has a set of higher level students who are bored and not challenged, struggling students who are not understanding the material, and a range of middle students which she ends up gearing her lectures towards. By flipping the classroom, the teacher provides the students videos to watch before they get to class. By doing this, the students can pause or re-watch the videos as many times as necessary until they understand what is being taught. This helps with all levels of students in the classroom. When the students get to class and already know the concept that is being taught, they can begin working on the application. This changes the percentages from 90% lecture to 10% lecture, and from 10% application to 90% application. I feel like this would be a great thing to incorporate in your classroom for all of your students benefit.

Summarized by: Keri Brown

Spelling City is a website and also has an app for iPads other devices. This app has a feature to search the language arts standards correlation list for standards by region and grade. This app provides correlations to U.S. Standards by State, Common Core Standards for each State's Implementation, Australian Standards by State, Canadian Standards by Province, and English National Curriculum Standards. This is a great tool for teachers to work with students in the classrooms as well as at home on their own time for homework or extra help. There are many games provided on this site for parts of speech, nouns, synonyms, contractions, phonics, Dolch-sight words, as well as vocabulary activities. There are also premium membership opportunities depending on how many students you have. There are many benefits with the premium membership such as, student activities being tracked, student test results and activities are automatically recorded, and you can create customized lists and lessons to meet each student's individual needs. This makes it great for ESE, ESL/ELL, and RTI.

Summarized by:Chelsea Calvert
This is an app that covers number and operation standards. Since iPads are becoming more common in the classroom this is a tool that could easy be accessed. This app helps the students understand how numbers are represented and the number system. The students must understand and know how to represent fractions on a number line. This game is more geared toward grades third through eighth. I chose this tool because it is something that will keep the students engaged. The students can also move into harder levels as they learn more so they are not confined to the same problems. If the teacher was to cover fractions and their place on the number line, they could let the students play this app to practice and check their understanding.

Mark Stevens explains how the technology people use in their daily life influences how students learn. Students and teachers have changed, and learning has changed, as well. However, the former setting of a school remains the same over the last 100 years. Stevens states, "We live with the reality that the same structure of brick, mortar, and steel will continue to greet us each morning" (Stevens). The great thing about 21st century learning is it can take place anywhere. Stevens explains that learning environment is not about the cool gismos and gadgets that are being used but the teacher applies today's technologies to make materials for students more engaging. "In other words, encourage the students to create, communicate, and collaborate in many ways" (Stevens).

"Learning in the 21st century takes new thinking" stated by NEA Executive Director John I. Wilson. 21st century skills are required in order for teachers to prepare their students for the globalized workforce. The teachers should find ways to incorporate technology while fulfilling the requirements for the curriculum. There are many useful tools that are available for teachers.

The question that Stevens mentions is "what does this 21st classroom look like?" He explains that interactive demonstration allows students to work through materials together. In addition, having access to the internet allows students to engage and transform content from around the world through tests and reliable learning portals. Students should have pens that records audio and data, because it helps students learn organization skills and allow teachers to share notes easily. Also, Stevens states that mobile devices allow students to learn on the go. Moreover, web-based applications allow teachers, students, and parents to stay connected outside the classroom.

The question is where do we start from here? Stevens explains that all teachers must think through the entire learning experience that they are creating for their students. Stevens provides NEA's and SETDA's key questions to inspire teachers thinking on how they can incorporate technology this school year:

-What tools and technologies will help the students create, collaborate, and communicate better?
-How can teachers let students learn with technology they already have?
-What is the appropriate role of the web, social media, mobile technologies, interactive white-board, etc., in today's classrooms?

Mark Stevens made some great points on 21st century learning. Teachers should consider ways to incorporate technology in their classrooms. These generations of students that educators are up against are more advance. Every moment of their lives is evolved around some form of technology. Educators must enhance their lesson plan to keep the attention of their students and cover all of the state standards. The main focus of the teachers' lesson should be allowing students' interest be the guidance to their learning process.

From reading Mark Stevens article, I did a search on tools to use to incorporate technology in students learning process. The website I can across is called BrainPop. BrainPop is a great tool to use as an inside or outside source in the classroom. It provides students with videos and games on any subject and topic. BrainPop is a tool that I would use to make sure my students are using technology as a tool of learning.

3 comments:

Hey Keri! Your post is very well put together and easy to understand. I find it interesting that in schools today they have figured it to be 90% lecture and 10% application. I never knew that; but reading this post its seems to be very true. I agree, that we need the students to be more engaged and interested in what is being taught. Lecturing 90% of the time just won't suffice. The idea to watch videos and then come back to school to show what you have learned seems to be a great idea. I believe that "flipping the classroom" would be a great way to engage students and yet they will have fun learning too. Overall, I loved reading your post and learned a great deal of information. Can't wait to read more.

Spelling City is a great tool that I have seen used by several classroom teachers for spelling practice.

Pearl Diver is new to me but sounds interesting. How would you incorporate this app into the classroom?

What exactly is Brain Pop. The assignment was more to research a new technology resource for the classroom and then explain what it is and how to use it in a classroom. There focused more on a video summary in this portion of the post.

It is also a requirement to have alt and title modifiers on all pictures.